Hardener formulation for cold curing epoxy systems

Abstract

Provided herein is a hardener composition comprising (a) a first adduct comprising a reaction product of a liquid epoxy resin and isophorone diamine; (b) a second adduct comprising a reaction product of a liquid epoxy resin and m-xylylenediamine; and (c) an accelerator component comprising methanesulfonic acid.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A curable composition comprising:
 (a) at least one liquid epoxy resin selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, a novolac epoxy resin, and mixtures thereof; and 
 (b) a hardener composition comprising:
 (1) from about 5 weight percent to about 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of a first epoxy-amine adduct, 
 (2) from about 2 weight percent to about 30 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of a second epoxy-amine adduct, and 
 (3) from about 1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of an accelerator component comprising methanesulfonic acid; 
 
 wherein the first epoxy-amine adduct is provided as an epoxy-amine adduct composition comprising about 30% to about 90% by weight of an adduct of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and isophorone diamine and about a weight balance of unreacted isophorone diamine; 
 wherein the second epoxy-amine adduct is provided as an epoxy-amine adduct composition comprising about 30% to about 90% by weight of an adduct of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and m-xylylenediamine and about a weight balance of unreacted m-xylylenediamine; and 
 wherein a ratio of the epoxy-equivalent in (a) to the amine-hydrogen equivalent in (b) is from about 1:0.5 to about 1:1.5. 
 
     
     
       2. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener composition comprises from about 10 weight percent to about 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of the first epoxy-amine adduct. 
     
     
       3. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener composition comprises from about 3 weight percent to about 8 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of the second epoxy-amine adduct. 
     
     
       4. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener composition comprises from about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of the accelerator component comprising methanesulfonic acid. 
     
     
       5. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener composition further comprises a solvent component comprising at least one high boiling point solvent selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol, fatty alcohols, and (alpha-methyl) styrenated phenol(s). 
     
     
       6. The curable composition of  claim 5 , wherein the solvent component comprises benzyl alcohol or (alpha-methyl) styrenated phenol(s). 
     
     
       7. The curable composition of  claim 5 , wherein the hardener composition comprises from about 10 weight percent to about 60 weight percent, based on the total weight of the hardener composition, of the solvent component. 
     
     
       8. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the hardener component further comprises one or more additional amine components. 
     
     
       9. The curable composition of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more additional amine components comprises one or more monomeric amines selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amines, cycloaliphatic amines, araliphatic amines, and aromatic amines. 
     
     
       10. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the epoxy-equivalent in (a) to the amine-hydrogen equivalent in (b) is from about 1:0.8 to about 1:1.2. 
     
     
       11. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid epoxy resin is selected from the group consisting of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       12. The curable composition of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one liquid epoxy resin comprises a novolac epoxy resin. 
     
     
       13. A product prepared from the curable composition of  claim 1 , the product selected from the group consisting of a primer, a self-leveling flooring, a coating, a lacquer, a paint, and an adhesive.